A Medical Opinion
by AmyD and Suisan
Summary: Steve seeks out his personal doctor to ask a question about a case he's working on.


This is a one shot that came to me one day while I was waiting for something. I hope you enjoy.

A Medical Opinion

Steve was on the hunt, looking for a specific person in the sprawling complex at Joint Base Hickam Air Force Base/ Pearl Harbor Hospital. He knew his quarry was somewhere in the hospital, he just didn't know where. He went floor by floor, looking, listening. He found success, and his man, on the fifth floor. He heard him. It wasn't just the man's voice Steve heard, it was his tone. Steve recognized that tone. It was Dr. Takahashi's 'You will not win' tone.

He knocked on the open door. "Dr. Takahashi? It's Commander McGarrett. If I could borrow you for a moment?"

Dr. Takahashi appeared in the doorway, dressed in scrubs with a lab coat over them. "Come in, Commander. I'm almost finished."

Steve walked into the room and saw a sandy haired young man barely old enough to shave with his left arm in a cast up past his elbow. He didn't know the young man but knew the scowl. He knew it well. The young man's dark eyes moved from Dr. Tak to Steve, assessing him, before moving back to Dr. Tak.

"Lance Corporal Matthew Helgaasson meet Commander Steve MacGarrett." Dr. Take looked at Steve. "The Lance Corporal is in Force Recon Training." He looked back at Helgaasson and said "Commander McGarrett is a SeAL and the head of the state crime task force, Hawaii 5-0. He's also a patient of mine, for the last five years?"

"Six." Steve said. He gestured at the cast. "What happened?"

"Training accident. I kept a buddy from falling down a ravine but couldn't stop myself." Helgaasson said.

Steve nodded. "You lucked out in getting Doc Tak. He's one of the best."

The scowl came back to Helgaasson's face, making Dr. Tak grin.

"He reminds me of you, Commander. He's got about the same amount of patience."

Steve glowered at Dr. Tak.

"I'm not exaggerating. Your team will verify that." Dr. Tak said.

"Look, as maddening as this is, don't give Doc Tak too hard a time. He's the reason I'm standing here." Steve said, hiking up his shirt to point out the still visible scars on his chest.

Helgaasson looked at the scars for a long moment, then repeated Steve's question. "What happened?"

"Ambush. I ignored some things I shouldn't have and my whole team was taken down. We all survived. I got it the worst. Shot twice in the chest into the left lung. That's actually how I 'met' Doc Tak."

Dr. Tak pursed his lips but didn't interrupt.

"The last thing I remember is going into the warehouse. Next thing I know, I'm flat on my back in a hospital bed while Doc Tak is talking to my sister."

"How is your sister, by the way?" Tak asked.

"She's fine." Steve looked at Helgaasson. "His one and only tv appearance was because of me." He pointed at Dr. Tak. "I don't think he really liked it."

"That might have had to do with the fact that it was at the end of a very long day that was started by operating on you." Dr. Tak smiled at Steve.

"Really?" Helgaasson asked, looking truly interested in the conversation for the first time.

Both Steve and Dr. Tak nodded.

"That's not to say that everything was fine after that because it wasn't. Even today, every once in a while, if I turn just the wrong way or run up too many flights of stairs, I'll get a twinge and it'll remind me."

"A twinge?" Dr. Tak asked Steve.

"Yes." Steve saw the look he was getting and added, "Do you honestly think that if it was something major, you wouldn't already know? That my sister or Danny or someone wouldn't have told you?"

"True." Dr. Tak grinned. "See Lance Corporal? I have spies everywhere."

Helgaasson nodded, his eyes wide.

"You said you needed to speak with me?" Dr. Tak asked Steve.

"Yes, sir. It has to do with a case. We need a medical opinion." Steve replied.

"Certainly. Lance Corporal Helgaasson and I are done for the moment. We can talk in the hall."

"I'm going to borrow Dr. Takahashi for a moment. Don't try to AMA with him here, he'll know. He's almost like a Jedi that way."

Dr. Tak waited until they were in the hallway before speaking. "All right, Commander. You said you were looking for a medical opinion."

"Yes, sir. We have a suspect claiming that there's no way he could've been where we say say he was because he had taken loxotine and it knocked it him out for four or five hours, at least. We're looking to see if that's possible."

"What did he say he took?" Tak asked.

Steve repeated the drug's name.

Dr. Tak was silent for several long moments, then said "Are you certain? Is he certain that that's what he took?"

"So he claims. Why?"

"Well, you and I both know that simply because he said that doesn't mean that's what he took. Do you know if it was prescribed or something he got off the streets that may, or may not have, been made by a reputable pharmaceutical? Does he pill shop? Get multiple scrips from multiple docs for the same thing? How often does he take whatever he claims to have taken? Does he abuse it? Is it the first time he's ever taken it? Is he allergic to any drugs? What are the side effects?"

"Whoa, whoa, Doc... I just needed to know if it's possible. I don't have the man's full medical history."

Dr. Tak smiled. "That's kind of the point I'm trying to make. He claim whatever he wants but unless you know the particulars, it's going to be hard to be certain."

"Okay, but speaking in general, could he be telling the truth? Could extreme drowsiness be a side effect of loxotine?"

"Simple answer, yes. All things being equal, more than likely."

"Okay...so it's probable. I've got to get the team to work on other possible suspects and/or dig deeper into our main suspect's motives. Thanks, Doc Tak."

"You're welcome, Commander. Happy to help."

Behind the two men, Lance Corporal Helgaasson came out of his room and headed for the stairs. Dr. Tak saw him out of the corner of his eye. "Lance Corporal..."

Steve turned to see Lance Corporal Helgaasson freeze, a red flush starting up his neck. He shook his head. "I told you."


End file.
